Amidst mountains of exams and end-of-semester stress, students took to the stage in Southwick Hall last week to perform the final student recitals of the semester.

Keith Prescott, a first-year flutist, performed in the recital Nov. 30.

Both Prescott and first-year clarinetist Bailey Brown expressed a desire to raise awareness for the music department on campus, particularly in light of recent department cuts to classes and faculty.

“It lets people really get a hands-on experience of what students are doing,” Prescott said. “And maybe it could also help people see the value of a music curriculum.”

The recitals are a requirement for music majors enrolled in performance lesson classes MUL 134 and MUL 234, according to the music department website.

Each student participating in the recital performs one or two pieces either solo or with accompaniment, said Andrea Aquino, administrative assistant for the department of music and dance.

“It’s a good chance for them, especially new music majors or underclassmen, to get used to performing solo, performing on stage and developing their stage presence,” Aquino said.

Although they weren’t required to perform, his professor recommended one recital every semester for practice.

The performers aren’t the only ones who can benefit from the recitals, however.

They give students and faculty the opportunity to see a variety of performances, Aquino said. Audience members are treated to classical, jazz, voice and instrumental pieces, she said.

“It’s a nice way to see a scope of what our department does,” Aquino said.

Brown agreed, saying the recitals are a good chance to see what peers are doing.

“It might just be a good thing for non-majors to see what’s happening in the music department,” she said.

For anyone who missed the recitals, there will be plenty of other opportunities to catch one. The department holds between three and five every semester, each free and open to the public, Aquino said.

In particular, she encouraged students to come see the shows, mentioning that it’s a chance for them “to see the potential of what they can do” through the department.